Bradley Beach Business Owner Decides Against Restaurant
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By TOM SHORTELL
The owner of the food processing warehouse on the corner of Main Street and Newark Avenue in Bradley Beach has removed his application to convert the building into a restaurant.
Ray Walsh, the owner of Beach Crepevine LLC, removed his application at the Board of Adjustment meeting when some residents opposed his plan. Walsh said he did not want to be a bad neighbor.
The application to the zoning board did not include any on-sight parking, which would require a town variance. Walsh and his attorney, Don Beekman, said no parking could be leased nearby within an acceptable price range. A lot for sale across the street would cost $2.5 million, Walsh said.
Walsh said the restaurant was a project he and his wife wanted to start, and it would improve that neighborhood.
I just want to upgrade the north side of town, Walsh said. Its not like Im making a lot of money from this.
After the hearing he said he would make more money by keeping it a food processing business.
Board members seemed uneasy with the plan. Vice-chairman Michael Conscetti pointed out the logistical problems of getting to the parking lot.
Its a one-way street, Conscetti said of Newark Avenue. Ive got to go east to west to get to this spot.
Beach Crepevine also owns an adjacent building that board member Harvey Rosenberg suggested Walsh tear down to make room for on-sight parking.
For the project, youve already invested X amount, maybe you invest a little more, he said.
Engineer Elissa Comming pointed out that the site still required a refuse location. Some of the space made available by tearing down the building would need to be used for garbage and recycling collection and leave room for trucks to collect them.
Newark Avenue residents at the meeting opposed the plan.
Heidi Modjeski, a landlady on Newark Avenue, said she has worked hard to find good tenants, but the increase in traffic and parking from a restaurant would chase them away.
I will lose them if they dont have parking, she said.
On top of that, Modjeski, who has a baby, said she would need to park across an already busy street.
Im never going to be able to park in front of the house, she said.
Suzanne Nevadunksy, another Newark Avenue resident, agreed.
Newark (Avenue) is going to need a parking garage, she said.
Before the third resident could get far into her comments, Beekman stood up and informed the board his client would remove his application.
If everybody is in such client opposition, he couldnt be comfortable, Beekman said.
I wanted to try to improve that part of town, Walsh said.I dont want to be a bad neighbor.
After the application was withdraw, Modjeski said she genuinely liked Walsh, but the parking logistics were too great a problem for a restaurant. If the north end is to be developed, the parking problems need to be solved first. Main Street needs to be developed, but not be infringed on, she said.
Chairman Dennis Mayer declined to comment directly on the application since Beekman said his client may resubmit his application next year. However, Mayer was willing to talk about the north end in general. Wed like to see the town address the parking issue in general, he said. Thats where a lot of these issues on Main Street boil down to.
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